Driving mechanism for grain harvesters or binders.



C. A. BROWN. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAIN HARVESTERS 0R BINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27| I914.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

I 4 SHEETSSHEET I.

c. A. BROWN. v DRIVING'MECHANISM FOR GRAIN HARVESTERS 0R BINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, I914. 1,173,926. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llllllllllllIlII c. A. BROWN.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAIN HARVESTERS 0R BINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 1914.

1, 17359 26. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

[HIllIIIIlllllllllllllifiiiiiil ilil C. A. BROWN.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAIN HARVESTERS 0R BINDERS.

APPLICATION IiILED MAR-2?, I9I4.

Patented Feb. 29,191

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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55 i operating parts thereof are driven, which srarus GLETUS A. BROWN, 0F STU'ITGART, ARKANSAS.

DRIVING- MECHANISM FOR GRAIN HARVESTERS 0R BINDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed March 27, 1914. Serial No. 827,699.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLETUs A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stuttgart, in the county of Arkansas and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for rain Harvesters -or Binders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in grain harvesters or binders, and particularly to a novel construction of driving mechanism, whereby the hinder or harvester may be coupled to a traction engine and driven from the operating mechanism thereof, the primary object of .the invention being to provide a novel construction of means for mounting any binder or harvester of the ordinarytypes in common use and for driving the working parts thereof in a reliable and efiicient manner from the tractor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a frame construction and arrangement of drive gearing which is adapted for the mounting of any ordinary type of binder or harvester thereon.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the binder or harvester coupled to a tractor. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the binder and showing the telescopic driving shaft. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the binder, omitting certain parts of the binder mechanism. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the. line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig." 6 is a bottom plan view of; the binder frame.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a traction engine or tractor, which may be of any desired construction, but is preferably of the tvpe shown in my copending application, filed March 27, 1914, Sr. No. 827,698, which tractor is provided with sections 2.. and 3 of a driving shaft adapted to-be driven from the operating mechanism thereof, said sections being coupled bv a universal joint 4; and '5 designates a binder r or harvester, which .in general may be any of the styles ort ypes in general use, which binder inclu'des'the usual reciprocatingcutter 6, elevator 7, binder deck or platform 8, and a main driving chain 9 whereby the chain is ordinarily driven by suitable gearing from the bull wheel.

The frame 10 of the binder may be of ordinary construction, but, in accordance with my invention, the bull and grain wheels are dispensed with and arms or bars 11 are fastened at their forward ends to the frame and provided at their rear ends with bearings 12 for a rear transverse aXle 13, on which are journaled supporting wheels 14, having concaved rims 14 on which the binder is adapted to be sustained and travel. The arms 11, as shown, are pivotally connected at their rear ends to the housings or cap portions 15 of the beartions between the binder frame, and the binder deck and other superposed portions of the binder mechanism, other braces 19 may connect suitable parts of the superposed'framework portions with the housings of the bearingboxes to give increased strength and stability. Fixed in any suitable manner at its rear end to the shaft is a draft beam or bar 20, which is adapted to be coupled at its forward end to the tractor 1 by a suitable flexible coupling connection or universal joint 21,-adapted to permit the two structures to have relative vertical and lateral play. When the draft beam is coupled to the tractor the front end of the binder is supported for the operation of the cutter 6 at the proper elevation, the binder being supported at the rear by the wheels 14 on which it travels.

In practice, the frame of an ordinary binder may be modified in accordance with the present invention by simply mounting the parts referred to upon a frame 10, which may be an ordinary binder frame, so as to enable the bull and grain wheels to be dispensed with, the rear supporting axle and, wheels mounted in position and the adjusting mechanism arranged as shown. To take the place of the bull wheel as a driving element, I provide upon the bars of the frame below the binder deck bearings 28 for a shaft section 29 carrying at its rear end a sprocket wheel 30 for driving engagement with the chain '9, the said bearings being provided with suitable housings 31 from which project braces 32 to sustain and reinforce the overlying deck. Another shaft section 33 is coupled to the forward end of the shaftsection 29 by a universal joint 34. This shaft section 33 is hollow and of angular form to telescopically receive the correspondingly shaped solid rear end of the solidangular shaft section 3 *on the tractor 1, the respective shaft sections 2, 3, 29; 33

and 35 forming a flexible and extensible shaft which is adjustable longitudinally, vertically and laterally to permit and compensate for relative longitudinal, vertical and lateral play between the tractor and a binder, by which an ample range of flexibilv ity of the drive shaft is insured, while a continuous driving action .is maintained. Suitable clutch devices 36 and 37 are provided be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention provides means whereby a binder inay bereadily attached to, and supported and driven-from a tractor in such a manner as to enable the two structures to have ample play to compensate for irregularities in the ground surface, while at the same time enabling power to be continuously transmitted to the binder mechanism in a simple, reliable and eflicientt manner. It will be obvious that the parts of the invention may be applied to a binder frame structure by simply dispensing withthe bull and grain wheels, and substituting therefor the axle supporting arms, axle power. delivery sections of the driving shaft and the bracing connections.

I claim A binder including a frame inade up of longitudinal and transverse bars, a, support-- 4 ing axle, bearings carried by said bars and pivotally engaging the axle, supporting wheels journaled upon the axle, a draft bar pivotally connected with the axle, driving mechanism on the binder including a power delivery shaft, a connection between the. frame and forward end of the draft bar, embodying an element slidably engaging one of said parts, a pivotally mounted bell crank lever on the draft bar, a link connecting said lever with the frame, means for locking the lever in different positions to hold the frame at different elevations with relation to the draft bar, and means for flexibly connecting the draft bar with the frame and the said power delivery shaft with a drive shaft of a I tractor.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' i CLETUS A. BROWN.

- Witnesses:

J. P. SIMMERMAGKER,

M. -E. Cox. 

